Description

The Farrants by Mae Keller

The Farrants of Glen Haven and Empire: A Story Restored, is a lens on the life and times of the Leelanau Peninsula, 1860s–1930s, told through several generations of the Farrant family.

Early French-Canadian immigrants, William and Ezilda Farrant, farmed and managed hotels, including the iconic Sleeping Bear Inn in the National Lakeshore. Their six remarkable children included Eva, the wife of D. H. Day; Ida, a columnist for the Leelanau Enterprise; and Miner, the author’s great-grandfather, whose life chapters take the reader through decades of change in the Leelanau region.

Brought to life by the memories of Frances Farrant, Miner’s daughter, and the author’s grandmother, the book is richly researched with both familial details and historical context. It illuminates social, civic, and economic life in the area. Leelanau historian Andrew White contributed original research into the early
history of Glen Haven.

The book captures the hardships, opportunities, and rapid rate of technological and environmental change faced by pioneers when the timber industry came to an end. This is a book both for those with a casual interest in the beautiful Leelanau Peninsula, and for those involved in rediscovering the richly nuanced history of the area.